Bar-Diction - ary - 2

Bar, Tools, Liquor, Mixing, Distillation, Production

TERMINOLOGY LOG

Series – 2 of 8

B – C

Bottle Par
Save up underneath (underbar) in a rack or bus tub, all of the liquor bottles you empty during the shift. At the end, right them down and give the list to whomever is in charge of pulling fresh ones out of the liquor cage for you to re-stock in the bar. This could be the bar manager or the M.O.D. (Manager on Duty) who has the keys. This procedure is simple, but very important. You may also be asked to save wine bottles, and to put all beer bottles and
aluminum cans into separate recycling containers.

Breakage
Another term for Bottle Par, you will hear this equally as much.
Refers to a liquor bottle being emptied, finished off, out, done with. In the past, before the prominence of glass recycling, the bartender would actually break/smash the bottle to avoid any less respectables re-filling that same bottle with cheaper alcohol and re-selling it as the previous, known as Backfilling.

Breakdown
The closing chores of any establishment with an operational bar, beginning about an hour or so before the last call for alcohol – when the bar shuts down its service for the evening, whatever designated time that may be. For optimum cleaning and re-stocking efficiency, have a closing systems checklist together with your barback (if you have one). If not, and the bartender is closing down everything themselves, use the checklist sheet to get a memory rhythm going, and after some repetition you won’t need the
sheet anymore. If this type of sheet is not necessary, great!
At closing time, follow bar policy regarding the re-stocking of beer, wine, liquor, and miscellaneous items. Some bars re-stock at closing, some at opening. When you leave, leave the bar looking clean.

Brine
The liquid/juice contained in jars of olives. It is nothing more than water containing large amounts of salt.

Bruised
When the customer says “bruise it”, they are asking the bartender to shake the martini so forcefully that it cracks the edges of the ice into small slivered ice chips, and as the cocktail is strained into the martini glass, the sliver chips slip out through the strainer floating atop the chilled liquid ingredients. When the shaker is cracked (from the sound) really well, meaning to shake forcefully, it is also meant to “Wake up the Spirits”! Cracked ice or lenticular - dome-shaped ice cubes are best for producing bruised ice chips.

Burn the Ice
A term used at the end of the night, or at the end of any bartender’s shift depending on what time they’re cut, to melt all the remaining ice in the bartender’s ice well, and do a final wipe down. This job is for either the barback or the bartender, depending on how the job descriptions run for your particular place. This is done as a health and sanitary precaution.

Cage
Short for Liquor Cage, this is the fenced/walled and locked area of the building where all of the liquor is stored for requisition to the bars by either the bar manager, restaurant manager, general manager, or any M.O.D.(manager on duty). If this locked down area
is away from any temperature changing sunlight, and is large enough, it can also stock the bottles of red wine, backup cases of white wine, and bottle beer by the case. For all of this product it is good for the stocking room/liquor cage to have a slightly cooler than room temperature feel to it. This also makes it more conducive to faster icing down for ready chill. This room should house its own addition and reduction sheet, as bar requisitions come in, and matched up at the end of each month for inventory control purposes. Above all, keep clean and organized at all times.

Call
Refers to the liquor poured when a customer requests a specific brand, or calls out for a brand name. This also, with Premium and Top Shelf, incurs a bump up into the next price category.

Calling Order
With an operational bar serving many categories of beverages, it is best for the waiter/bartender communication and service to be as proficient as possible. Depending on business volume, the bar’s operational working and serving time efficiency, and the waiter / kitchen relationship, it may be of underrated importance to work up and adhere to a certain “Calling Order” for drinks. Same goes when cocktail waitresses are on the barstaff. It normally goes Difficult > Easy > Hot > Cold > Layered. For a more thorough breakdown, see The Efficient Calling Order in Liquid Masters.

Canelle Knife
A term for a vegetable peeler, used to score along the thinner green skin of cucumbers and other vegetables, taking off strips of peel and used for some cocktail garnishes. A similar looking tool to the lemon Zester, which has a deeper angled sharp center edge for stripping the thicker skins of certain fruits. For any professional bar, it’s good to have both. The kitchen will normally stock these tools as well.

Can Opener
This opener is still useful, even though all beer cans are pop tops. You will need this to open large cans of tomato juice for Bloody Mary house prep mix, and other juices for mixer cocktails. The reverse end of this tool usually has a bottle opener as well.

Cash Bar
A term used when the host of the party is not paying for the drinks. Also see Hosted Bar

Cellar Temperature
A dark, cool room kept at 48-55 degrees fahrenheit, housing the restaurant’s listing of Reds from the wine list, as well as fortified wines like Ports, Oloroso and Cream sherries, and Madieras. Even fruit brandies (Eaux-de-vie), specialty Liqueurs, and the best Spirits in the house can be kept here, away from any excessive heat.

Chai
A term more prevalent in Bordeaux, it is a warehouse used to store and age barrels of wine or cognac.

Champagne Stopper
A bar tool that helps avoid the waste of good champagne for about 24-48 hours. A spring and pressure mechanism, the two sides swing back down and clamp under the lip of the champagne bottle.

Chaser
A mild drink sipped or consumed after a shot of any given spirit. This drink can be sodas, still water, club soda, juices, beer, or even squeezes of lime. Usually consumed after a shot of liquor to re-balance and/or cool down the palate. Cheers!

Chilled
A term used in mixing or shaking, to get a cocktail to its desired temperature. Preferably very cold, by way of using a Boston shaker, Bullet shaker, or an Antique shaker with a closed top.
For optimum chill factor, make sure the glass used is also chilled before.

Church Key
A – A 5”L X ¾”W X 1/8”D steel strip bottle and can opener, with a puncturing tip at one end and a crown lifter at the other. B – A bottle opener/crown lifter with a two-foot chain that re-coils after each use, and clamps over the top of the pant waist and belt, either on the left or right hip depending on what hand you use the most. Made by Gatto.

Cigar (Guillotine) Cutter
A small slicing device to cut the tip off the puffing end of one’s cigar. The standard size fits most ring gauges and can be purchased inexpensively as well as high end gold plated in the best cigar shops. Many styles available.

Citrus Juices
Used for either fruit as a garnish, or fresh squeezed. And many more fruit juices are used for mixing in a wide variety of cocktails, sweet to tart.

Cocktail
Historical reference defines the word ‘Cock tail’ as a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, and often but not always with the use of various mixers and other flavor enhancers.

Computer-Dispensed Liquor Bars
Attempting to become popular around 1985, it failed, thankfully to patrons everywhere. You may know of an establishment with this type of system in the back bar. If you’d like to become a non-bartender, work this! Not only do customers steer clear once they realize their drink has been measured by a machine instead of a human, but no matter how good the food is, you’ll never see them again. It also causes communication paralysis between the bartender and the customer. This is an occupation where the human being as “Bartender” is of actual top priority over a machine. Please share with me a few seconds towards that imaginary concept, won’t you! I believe a certain very large hotel chain may still use this slight overkill of a measuring/monitoring system for their entire liquor inventory. Yet they’re stuck with it from purchasing many of them, it becomes too costly to dump.

Concoction
To invent, plan, or devise a preparation by the mixing of certain specifically chosen ingredients, by blending together or to cook, creating an attractive tasting consumable recipe.

Congeners
Flavoring and coloring agents present in all alcoholic beverages, which are a major cause of hangovers. Liquors high in congeners are Bourbon, Brandy, and Rum. Vodka, a clear-colored liquor has a low level, which is safer for some people. Similar as a result of what Sulfites do in wines. A natural characteristic element in the distillation process. See also Fusel Oils

Corkage Fee
A nominal charge to dining customers who wish to bring their own bottle(s)of wine into a restaurant to enjoy with their dinner.
The fee is usually listed somewhere on the menu.

KB